Beardmore W.B.II

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Beardmore W.B.2
Role Fighter
National origin United Kingdom
Manufacturer William Beardmore and Company
DesignerG. Tilghman-Richards
First flight30 August 1917
Number built3

The Beardmore W.B.II was a British biplane fighter prototype of the 1910s.

Contents

Development

A two-seat fighter of wooden construction, the W.B.II was built as a private venture by William Beardmore and Company. A development of the Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2c it was designed by G. Tilghman Richards in 1916. Powered by a 200 hp (150 kW) Hispano-Suiza 8Bd engine, it carried two guns and design finished early in 1917 with the production of the first prototype. [1]

Operational history

The W.B.II was first flown on 30 August 1917, and performance proved good. However, the Air Ministry deemed that the 8Bd engine, at that time in short supply, was needed more urgently for use in the S.E.5a fighter at that time serving with the Royal Flying Corps in World War I. [1] As such, no further production of the W.B.II took place, however in 1920 two civil examples were produced, named the W.B.IIB. [2]

Variants

W.B.II
2-seat fighter built as a private venture;two built. [3]
W.B.IIa Adriatic
A proposed version to have been powered by the Galloway Adriatic engine. [3]
W.B.IIb
A fast mail-plane civilian variant; two built. [2]

Specifications (W.B.II)

Data from Jane's all the World's Aircraft 1919 [3]

General characteristics

Performance

Armament

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References

  1. 1 2 Green, William; Gordon Swanborough. The Complete Book of Fighters. Godalming, UK: Salamander Books. p. 44.
  2. 1 2 Jackson, A. J. (1973). British Civil Aviation since 1919 Volume 1 (2nd ed.). London: Putnam. p. 298. ISBN   978-0-370-10006-7.
  3. 1 2 3 Grey, C.G., ed. (1969). Jane's all the World's Aircraft 1919 (Facsimile ed.). London: David & Charles (Publishers) Limited. pp. 94a–95a. ISBN   07153 4647 4.

Bibliography